Worth It
by patsan
Summary: A short portrait of a family we saw for too short a time on our screens. Fluff alert!


_Happy Saturday, lovely readers! _

_I don't usually post my Tumblr drabbles on here, because, really, they're simple, little things, except when I do, like in this case, and unlikely the latest ones I posted, this is the fluffest fluff you can imagine. _

_If you are familiar with "Precious" (you can track it down using the link __**MM ficlets and drabbles**__ at the top of my Tumblr ~ patsan,tumbrl,com) this is somewhat specular to that story, but it also works as a stand alone, and it is basically me not being able to get enough of this small family we got to see for too short a time in the show. _

_Un-beta'd, so all mistakes and weird wording are mine._

_I also want to thank these who nominated me and my stories for the last Highclere Award, an unexpected, but very welcome surprise. Recognition is not what pushes writers to write, but it feels good all the same, and it definitely makes them crack a smile and feel motivated, so keep supporting the writers you love and their stories.  
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_Happy belated Valentine's Day to you all :)_

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**Worth It**

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Matthew sighs heavily as he walks out of the library, a frown on his brow as he ponderrs over the numbers Tom showed him, thinking tiredly that he would need talk to Mary later, and decide what to do with the news they just had.

It won't be easy, and it will probably steer another discussion with Robert, and Matthew wonders sometimes if all this effort and constant fight is worthy after all, especially when it seems they live in cycles, one storm passing as another already forms at the horizon.

The dressing gong echoes into the great hall of Downton, and Matthew tries to relax as he goes upstairs.

He reaches his bedroom, but then he changes his mind, and walks past it down the hallway only to stop when he hears Mary's voice coming from a few doors away.

"Darling, what is it?" she's asking softly, and even from where he stands Matthew can hear their son's cheerful babble in response, a sound that never fails to put a big smile upon his face.

It's with that wide smile that he walks the few steps down to the nursery, and he stops on the doorway to see his wife sitting on a rocking chair with little George on her lap.

The child is holding one of Mary's hand in his chubby ones, Matthew notices, and he's beaming up at his Mama.

"Oh, you like this, don't you?" Mary asks again, waggling her fingers a little under George's hold, as the boy giggles excitedly.

She repeats the motion and George's laugh fills the air while Matthew's heart fills with love and joy, the worries of the day forgotten for now, put aside for later.

He feels pride swell in his heart as well when Mary turns her head and greets him with the most delighted expression on her face.

_"You are going to be such a wonderful mother," _he'd told her after their child was born.

She'd doubted it at first, he knows, but he'd also known that Mary's love has no boundaries, and it makes him so proud to see how caring and tender she is with George, easily gifting their son with the truest part of herself, no hesitation or reserve in her precious moments with him.

"What it is he likes?" Matthew enquires as he enters the room and crouches beside Mary's chair.

George twists around at the sound of his voice, and gurgles at him cheerfully, moving his Mama's hand towards him as if to show him something.

"My hands apparently," Mary explains with an amused smile at Matthew's questioning gaze. "For some reason he seems to find them so very fascinating today, don't you, darling?"

Her voice softens as she looks at the boy with an adoring grin.

Matthew's smile is knowing as he replies, just a hint of suggestion in his tone, "I can see why he likes them, dear, I am quite fond of them myself."

He looks at her sideways, a glint in his eyes he sees reflected in Mary's, along with the sweet promise of _later…_ that makes his breath come faster for only a short fraction of time, before the air shifts again and they both look down at the boy bouncing on Mary's legs, entranced by his every movement.

They watch him play with Mary's hands for some more quiet moments, as he holds first one finger, then another, then lets go of them altogether only to pat his small palm against her bigger one.

He looks up at them as if he's so unspeakably proud of what he's just done, a wide grin spreading on his darling face.

Matthew chuckles, and Mary's light laugh soon follows, as George looks from him to her and back again and erupts in a new happy giggle.

And, unbidden, a thought forms in Matthew's mind, and he could rebuke himself for his earlier considerations.

_For this_, he thinks, as they share some more silliness with their dearest little chap, as they steal just a few more minutes together as the small family they are before Mary and he go and change for dinner, before they need to talk about what has to be done, before another long and probably draining after dinner argument with Robert in the following days.

It is all worthy, no matter how stressful or tiring it is.

In the end, every worry is worth it.

For George's laugh, for his happy grin, for the joy he brings into their lives.

And, as his gaze slides from his son to his wife, for her too, Matthew thinks.

For Mary.

Always, and forever, his dearest Mary.

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___That is all for now, __but many new things are about to come, so stay tuned. ____If you have some time, I'd like to know what you think of this little silliness ;)_


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